help!! collectica!!

[trev]

hi guys.
i need some advice. i've had the forced entry letter from collectica today. its unpaid metro ticket that i've just not had the money to pay and proceeded to bury my head in the sand about.
as you can imagine i'm pretty stressed, i don't mind telling you i feel absolutely terrified of what could be coming and being a sufferer of bipolar disorder anyway, you can imagine what its all doing to me.
i'm quite literally scared to leave the house right now.
i can't pay the £510 they want. i dont have a penny to my name. i spend all of my time in the cold of dark anyway to save on energy because i'm on benefits.
i live in the durham area so if anyone can help i would really appreciate it.

[ploddertom]

Re: help!! collectica!!

Did you know about the original fine? Did you attend Court & if so did you fill out a means form? Before the Bailiff became involved did the Court write to you and ask you bring your account up to date? Has a Bailiff visited or did you get their letter through the post? How much was the original fine?

[trev]

Re: help!! collectica!!

the original fine was only £10. i haven't responded to anything. its almost like an aversion to dealing with anything like this. it makes me sick to my stomach with anxiety and i just can't handle it.
i've just hid behind closed curtains and locked doors for months now.

[ploddertom]

Re: help!! collectica!!

Thanks for that, can you answer the rest of the questions as they are important.

You say in your original post they want £510, seems to me they are bigging this up for some reason. Normal procedure is they £85 when receiving instruction from HMCTS, then if a Bailiff visits add an extra £215. That gives us £310 so where has the rest come from. If they think you are wilfully evadingthem they do have the power to force entry.

[trev]

Re: help!! collectica!!

i'm willfully avoiding everyone and everything and have been for ages now. i can go off to work and do a great job for anyone, but when it comes to dealing with my own life i just dont seem to be able to sort myself out.
i've no idea how it got to £510. i honestly didn't take any notice of the letters and threw them all in the bin.
stupid i know but its almost like a mental block when it comes to do with anything like this.

[Amethyst]

Re: help!! collectica!!

Hi Trev

There are lots of people who are very similar, fabulous dealing with other peoples problems and work stuff, but when it comes to their own just hide from it. I was the same and while helping people on here when we first started up, and kind of obsessing about it, forgot my own life needed some effort as well and ended up ignoring shed loads of mail and confined myself to the house for weeks on end. So I understand how it can feel.

However, you can't be barricading yourself inside the house dreading a knock on the door so you do need to take the first steps to sorting this out.

The guys on here can give you step by step instructions to dealing with it, but you need to get yourself into the frame of mind where you ARE going to deal with it, then you will have a massive chunk of horribleness lifted off your shoulders. It won't be easy but you will feel so much better about yourself, and life in general, once you start dealing with it and are back in control. It might mean you need to come to an arrangement to pay it off at even £1 a week but you need to stop ignoring it or you will have bailiffs force entry to your home which could be devastating for you.

Are you on any medication for bi-polar or have a health worker ?

How would you feel about getting in touch with your local Citizens Advice ?

[trev]

Re: help!! collectica!!

hi amethyst.
yeah i'm on meds. i'm on a combination of venlafaxine and mirtazipine. i haven't been in touch with my health worker or doctor for ages either. this is what i mean, i'm cutting myself off from everyone and everything and only leaving the house when absolutely necessary.
i cant give these guys the money they want as i simply dont have it and i dont know where to turn to sort it out. its got me stressed to hell. i just feel tied up in knots and sick to my stomach.

[Amethyst]

Re: help!! collectica!!

That's ok, completely understand. How do you feel about using the telephone ?

[trev]

Re: help!! collectica!!

yeah i'm ok on the phone. again though, it concerns talking to these people and i'm always scared that i'm going to say the wrong thing.

[Amethyst]

Re: help!! collectica!!

That makes life easier then. Ploddertom will come back and tell you what needs to be done with regards Collectia as it isn't my area.

However I think that you should telephone possibly someone who can make a phonecall on your behalf, such as Mind (http://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/local-minds/ ) or CAB ( http://www.greaterdurhamcab.org.uk/ ) to contact Collectia, they may have a welfare department?, if you really don't feel up to it, and tell them you are vulnerable and suffer with bi-polar and need to come to an arrangement to pay based on your income being from only benefits to avoid further unnecessary action over what was a £10 fine. They don't know if you don't tell them and it could be sorted out.

[trev]

Re: help!! collectica!!

that's great cheers amethyst. i'll try them first thing and see how i get on.

[bluebottle]

Re: help!! collectica!!

...a massive chunk of horribleness...

Best description I've seen of Collectica, Amethyst. Sums them up perfectly.

[ploddertom]

Re: help!! collectica!!

I've also sent someone a message hoping they may be able to help re Collectica but don't know how long it will be before they pick any messages up. In the meantime follow through with what Amethyst has suggested - the more irons in the fire the better.